On September 27, 2012 at 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm, Scott MacDonald , Chief Probation Officer of Santa Cruz County, and CJCJ's Kate McCracken will present on Local reform in a realigned environment . This webinar will address the local impact of realignment and that jurisdictions must examine targeted strategies to achieve public safety goals while effectively directing limited resources. It will highlight the Santa Cruz experience and the value of data-driven techniques to deliberately restructure…

Adult realignment, the shift of lower-level felony offenders to local supervision under AB 109, continues to pose a challenge to many counties as they struggle with how to serve this expanded population of offenders at the local level. Recent reports indicate many of the large counties have responded through initiating a planning process to construct new jail bed space rather than shifting current practices. A few counties have found this increased offender population manageable by…

California has seen a dramatic increase in state and local incarceration rates since the 1970's. The current crisis confronting state and county justice systems is the product of what is now recognized as poorly conceived correctional policy and decision making primarily at the state level. The massive rate of incarceration was avoidable. A CJCJ recent analysis , conducted with the support and collaboration of the Santa Cruz County Probation and Sheriff Departments and the County's Superior…

The most definitive answer I heard to this question at today's panel on Realignment, sponsored by the Warren Institute on Law and Policy at UC Berkeley, was "no one knows." The outcomes of criminal justice realignment are still unclear as it recently went into effect October 1st. Other factors include the difficulties in knowing how many offenders realignment will actually affect due to the specificity of offender categories outlined for local supervision and "justice by geography." By…

As counties start preparing for the impact of criminal justice realignment (AB 109), it is important to clarify some common misconceptions about what will actually happen on October 1, 2011. Governor Brown's realignment plan is directly tied to the May 23, 2011 Supreme Court decision to reduce prison-overcrowding, as it focuses on the same population of non-violent, non-serious, non-sexual offenders. Initial reactions to the decision were based in fear and uncertainty. For example, Justice…

(ISSN 1530-3012 )
From the editor
Justice Policy Journal Volume 1, Number 1: August 2001
From the editor
By Daniel Macallair, MPA
Editorial Statement Manuscripts submitted to the Justice Policy Journal cannot have been published elsewhere, including the Internet. They cannot be under consideration by another journal or publication outlet. Upon publication, author(s) must sign a Copyright Agreement with the Justice Policy Journal.
Justice Policy Journal Volume 1, Number 1:…

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